August1,2007

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement following House passage of the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act of 2007. The bill reauthorizes the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and provides health insurance to 11 million eligible children. Smith voted for the legislation, which passed by a vote of 225 to 204.

“Washington State has been a leader on providing quality health care for low income children. Unfortunately, under the current federal rules regarding SCHIP, our state lost hundreds of millions of dollars over the last decade. The bill we passed today will ensure that our state gets its fair share of federal funds so we can reach out to more eligible families and dramatically increase coverage of previously uninsured children.

“While I am disappointed with the cuts to Medicare Advantage (MA), which has given 20 percent of the seniors in my district an alternative to traditional Medicare, the permanent 100 percent fix for SCHIP and several other positive provisions made it a huge win for Washington State. I hope that we can address the cuts to the MA program in conference. I look forward to continuing to work with the Democratic leadership to provide quality, affordable health care for all Americans.”